For anyone who's interested these are the facts of this song. It was written by Ed Cobb in the 60s and was originally sung by Gloria Jones (the partner of T-Rex's Marc Bolan) In early 80s it was covered by English alternative synth-pop duo Soft Cell, and later again by Marilyn Manson and others.
Soft Cell's 1981 version is the most well-known version recorded, hence the common misconception that singer-songwriter Marc Almond wrote it. Since the early 80s it's been a dance club staple, especially the kick-ass extended version!
It is NOT about either AIDS or the tragic death of Marc BOLAN! As far as the lyrics go there's no great mystery. The song is sung from the POV of a guy who's in a toxic - or "tainted" - relationship with another person who is emotionally and physically stringing them along. So although he truly loves the other person, he eventually makes the difficult decision to leave knowing that his own needs will never be met.
Lantaon August 12, 2009 Link
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